Snow And Winter Cache

[MagicTogether]

Hi, We're new here and come with a question that we've been unable to answer by searching this site. It snowed a foot last night and either the geocache season just came to a frozen halt or there are tricks we don't know or both. We are thinking there ought to be a Winter cache scheme, e.g. a hanging cache that keeps it above the snow most of the time. Perhaps this could be a designated type of cache even. If they were a designated type and listed on the drop down menu of this site, then a participant could search for them by type during the Winter. What do you think of this idea? Jim & Lindsay - Alaska

[+Boot Group]

Trees are often a great way to place caches so that they are not on the ground, and buried under the snow. I have an ammo box hidden in a tree that splits in two directions at about eye level to an "average" sized adult. Lots of trees have nice hidey holes that are also not on the ground. If you place a snow accessible cache, you can use the attributes on the webpage to alert others that it is snow accessible. Of course snow shoes, and four wheel drive vehicles are helpful too, when the snow gets over a foot. I'm looking forward to snow caching again soon around here too. Good Luck

[+briansnat]

And you can still find caches under the snow. It takes some experience and a little luck, but it can be done. You'll also have to be prepared to log more DNFs than usual. I've found quite a few caches under the snow, one under 3 feet of the white stuff.

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

Although I know that most of the state is not above the Arctic Circle, I would imagine that in Alaska the relative lack of daylight during the winter months would be another hinderance to caching in addition to snow (when I first heard you talk about "a foot of snow" I thought you were in upstate NY where some parts got big snow yesterday but then saw the part that said you're in Alaska). I know quite a few people night cache but like snow caching it is harder and does increase DNF's and I imagine many places where caching is done are closed in the dark. Just wondering.....

[+ZingerHead]

Even though the DNF count tends to rise, I enjoy getting outside in the winter with the kids and/or the dog anyway. Sometimes I surprise myself and find the darn things anyway . A DNF is still a lot better than vegetating in front of the mind sucking television .

And the cachers around you will really appreciate any winter friendly caches you place - it's another way to keep the game alive through the cold dark winter months.

So use your imagination and hide a few snow-friendly caches. A snowshoe or snowmobile trek might be just the thing local cachers are waiting for.

[+webscouter.]

I find that a short fiberglass rod helps out quite a bit. I use one that I had to place a reflector at the end of my driveway on. You can use it to push through the snow and listen for it hitting a cache container.

[+FLYRFN]

Snow does cause some problems, but can also make it interesting by using snowshoes or cross country skiis. There are a few nighttime caches you can do early in the morning. The biggest advantage of caching in the winter is no leaves on the trees to mess with your GPS, both of my caches are winter friendly!

FLYRFN, Anchorage, Alaska

[MagicTogether]

Thank you for your friendly and useful responses. We won't "give up" on non Winterized caches, but...

 

FLYRFN, Thanks... We'll take a shot at yours since they are known to be Winter friendly!

 

Is there, or could there be.... a designation for Winter friendly or Snow caches? There are about 400 "near" our zip code. FLYRFN, I see you have a "Winter Friendly" in the text description. I don't see a method for using the search function to find specifically "Winter Friendly" or similar words in a site search. Did I miss something?

[+Alan2]

No ticks; better reception.

[+clatmandu]

A mechanical pencil or regular pencil and sharpener should be added to all your caches. Ink pens tend to freeze in the winter and prevent entering finds in the logbook. You should also carry a pencil with you for those caches you find that don't have one so you can still enter your log.

Edited November 26, 2005 by clatmandu

[+the hermit crabs]

Is there, or could there be.... a designation for Winter friendly or Snow caches?  There are about 400 "near" our zip code.  FLYRFN, I see you have a "Winter Friendly" in the text description.  I don't see a method for using the search function to find specifically "Winter Friendly" or similar words in a site search.  Did I miss something?

There is an attribute for winter-friendly caches. If you see a cache with this symbol on the right side of the page, it should be accessible in snow:

 

Here's an example of a cache with that attribute set.

 

Premium members can set up pocket queries which will list only caches with the winter-friendly attribute set, but I don't know of any other way to search for them.

 

(Not everyone sets the attributes for their caches, though, so a lot of winter-friendly caches won't have that attribute listed.)

[+denali7]

pm sent.

[MagicTogether]

Thank you all!

 

Hermit Crabs - Thanks for pointing out the winter icon. We had not noticed it on the cache pages. That may be a good argument for upgrading to Premium membership.

 

We are going to be in Chicago for a week of work so our responses here will be delayed. We'll get replies to the off list inquires written tonight.

 

Best Regards to all of you!

 

Jim & Lindsay - Alaska

[+briansnat]

A mechanical pencil or regular pencil and sharpener should be added to all your caches. Ink pens tend to freeze in the winter and prevent entering finds in the logbook.

Happened to me yesterday. Good thing we had a pencil along.

 

Hermit Crabs - Thanks for pointing out the winter icon. We had not noticed it on the cache pages.

 

Be aware that there are likely many winter accessible caches out there that do not have this icon. One good indicator would be to look for logs that show the cache being found in winter months.

[+RichardMoore]

An almost-foolproof winter caching system:

Wait until someone posts that they found the cache.

Assumining it hasn't snowed between then and when you go out to search, follow their footprints.

Make sure you follow the footprints coming away from the cache, not going towards it, otherwise you'll be searching in the same wrong places that they did. Usually by the time the previous finder has found the cache they are cold and just want to get back to their car.

Note: Some cachers will leave "decoy" footprints around the area. In this case look for a spot in the snow where it looks like someone stood for awhile. I have also found caches by noticing where the previous finder set the cache on top of the snow covered log while going through the contents (a perfect impression of the bottom of an ammo can or tupperware container in the snow looks out of place in a winter scene).

 

[+the hermit crabs]

Note:  Some cachers will leave "decoy" footprints around the area.  In this case look for a spot in the snow where it looks like someone stood for awhile.  I have also found caches by noticing where the previous finder set the cache on top of the snow covered log while going through the contents (a perfect impression of the bottom of an ammo can or tupperware container in the snow looks out of place in a winter scene).

 

Our snow searches usually involve walking around in so many circles that we rarely have to leave any extra decoy footprints once we've found the cache. But we will sometimes leave decoy ammo-can prints in the snow at the wrong locations

[+ZingerHead]

Since footprints in the snow are such a dead giveaway, and a single scratched off spot in the snow is even worse, I often spend a few minutes after a winter find tromping around and scuffing up nearby areas to make it look like there are several possible hiding spots. It's more the casual passerby than geocachers I'm worried about. On tougher hides I usually don't have to do any disguising since my search tracks cover 50 feet in all directions .

[+Rhett & Scarlett]

I found a cache that can only be gotten during winter!!! Its a cache located on a Double Black slope at Heavenly Ski Resort, Lake Tahoe CA. It was a fun find. But the area is off limits outside the ski season.

[Tahosa and Sons]

Put them Hi & Dry and the ammo can will keep it safe till spring.

[+dougsmiley]

Get a few unusually warm winter days about every year here in Indiana. Soon as my GPS arrives and one of these pops up, I'll probaly go caching. I just discovered it a few days ago, but I doubt i'll have the patience to wait for spring.

[+CamoCacher]

I am one that will purposely leave decoy prints all over the plac. I also carry a bag so always have to clear a spot to set it down in while I hunt. Cachers after me would have a hard time finding the spot after me. I alsl have been known to put snow back over the cache so it is even less obvious.